UPSC Mains Current Affairs for 5 February 2026

NDMA’s First-Ever SOP on Disaster Victim Identification (DVI)

February 5, 2026

Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Latest News

A series of major disasters struck India in 2025, exposing serious gaps in the identification and management of disaster victims.
In response to this, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has released India’s first comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling Mass Fatality Incidents (MFIs).
The guidelines, titled “National Disaster Management Guidelines on Comprehensive Disaster Victim Identification and Management”, were released on Republic Day by the Ministry of Home Affairs, marking 25 years since the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.

Need for these Guidelines

India witnessed at least five major mass fatality events in 2025, including -
- Air India crash, Ahmedabad (June)
- Chemical factory explosion, Sangareddy, Telangana (June)
- Gambhira bridge collapse, Vadodara (July)
- Flash floods, Dharali, Uttarakhand (August)
- Delhi car bomb blast (November)
Several victims in such incidents remained unidentified or were identified after significant delays, causing prolonged distress to families and administrative challenges.

Key Objectives of the Guidelines

Ensure: Scientific, coordinated and humane identification of disaster victims.
Enable: Dignified handling and handover of human remains.
Address: Institutional, logistical and forensic gaps.
Standardise: Roles of multiple stakeholders across local, State and Central levels.

Salient Features of the SOP

Four-stage victim identification process: The guidelines lay down a globally accepted, structured approach -
- Systematic recovery of human remains
- Collection of post-mortem data (physical, dental, forensic details)
- Collection of ante-mortem data from families (medical records, dental records, personal identifiers)
- Reconciliation and identification, followed by release of remains to families
National Dental Data Registry:
- One of the most notable and innovative recommendations.
- As teeth and jaws often survive fire, explosions and decomposition, dental records can serve as reliable identifiers.
- Aligns with Interpol Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) standards.
Use of advanced forensic disciplines:
- For example,
  - Forensic odontology: Dental identification.
  - Forensic archaeology: Identification of remains months or years after disasters, especially in landslides or buried sites.
- Brings together multiple forensic branches under one coordinated framework.
Humanitarian forensics approach: Recognises that mass autopsies may not always be feasible, emphasising -
- Sensitivity to community customs and religious practices
- Emotional support and counselling for families
- Focus on dignity, not merely procedural compliance

Institutional and Operational Framework

The expansive document details the role of all stakeholders in the aftermath of a disaster.
For example,
- Composition of identification teams.
- Coordination among police, medical, forensic, administrative and disaster response agencies.
It acknowledges the reality of multi-agency presence and overlapping jurisdictions at disaster sites.

Challenges Highlighted in the Document

Operational challenges:
- Fragmentation and commingling of remains.
- Rapid decomposition in hot and humid climates.
- Charring in fires and displacement during floods.
Logistical gaps:
- Inadequate mortuary capacity.
- Lack of cold chain transport and storage.
- Absence of reliable manifests or records in many disaster scenarios.
Institutional lacunae:
- Shortage of trained forensic manpower.
- Weak inter-agency coordination.
- Leadership and command challenges during large-scale disasters.

Way Forward Suggested by NDMA

Creating: Organisational structures for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) across India.
Training: Experts from all relevant forensic fields.
Forming: Specialised DVI teams, ideally in each State.
Fast-tracking: Implementation on a “war footing”.
Adaptation: Interpol best practices, contextualised for Indian conditions.
Others:
- Strengthen Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and post-disaster governance.
- Integrate science, technology and humanitarian values.
- Reinforce India’s compliance with international forensic standards.

Conclusion

The NDMA’s first-ever SOP on Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) marks a critical shift from ad hoc responses to an institutionalised, humane and scientific framework for managing mass fatalities.
By combining global best practices with indigenous realities, and by placing dignity of victims and emotional well-being of families at the centre, the guidelines represent a mature evolution of India’s disaster management architecture.
Effective implementation and sustained capacity-building will determine whether this landmark initiative translates into real relief on the ground during future disasters.

Source: IE

Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) FAQs

Q1: Why did the NDMA introduce the first-ever National SOP on Disaster Victim Identification (DVI)?

Ans: To address persistent gaps in identification, coordination and dignified handling of victims in mass fatality incidents.

Q2: How does the proposed National Dental Data Registry enhance disaster victim identification in India?

Ans: Dental records, being resilient to fire and decomposition, provide a reliable scientific tool for victim identification.

Q3: What are the four stages of DVI prescribed by the NDMA guidelines?

Ans: Systematic recovery of remains, collection of post-mortem data, collection of ante-mortem data, and reconciliation for identification and handover.

Q4: What is meant by ‘humanitarian forensics’ in the context of NDMA’s mass fatality guidelines?

Ans: It refers to a victim-centric forensic process that balances scientific identification with cultural sensitivity, dignity, etc.

Q5: What are the key operational and institutional challenges highlighted by NDMA in managing mass fatality incidents?

Ans: Fragmented remains, climatic decomposition, logistical shortages, lack of trained manpower, and weak inter-agency coordination.

Denotified Tribes in India – Demand for Constitutional Recognition

February 5, 2026

Denotified Tribes Latest News

Denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes have demanded constitutional recognition and a separate column in the 2027 Census to address long-standing political and administrative marginalisation.

Denotified Tribes in India: Background and Evolution

Denotified Tribes (DNTs) are communities that were historically labelled as “criminal tribes” under colonial rule.
The Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, empowered the British administration to notify entire communities as criminal by birth, subjecting them to surveillance, restrictions on movement, and social stigma.
This law was later amended in 1924, further institutionalising discrimination.
Following Independence, the Criminal Tribes Act was repealed in 1952, and the affected communities were officially “denotified”.
Since then, these groups have been known as Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs).
However, repeal of the law did not automatically translate into social acceptance or legal empowerment.
The stigma of criminality continued through policing practices and social exclusion.

Socio-Economic Status of Denotified Tribes

Denotified Tribes remain among the most marginalised communities in India, facing severe deficits in education, health, housing, and livelihood security.
Many DNT communities follow nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyles, limiting access to land ownership, ration cards, caste certificates, and welfare schemes.
Studies and official committees have repeatedly highlighted that literacy levels among several DNT groups are extremely low, with some communities reporting negligible school completion rates.
Economic survival often depends on informal labour, traditional occupations, or seasonal migration, making them vulnerable to exploitation.

Administrative Classification and Policy Gaps

Unlike Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), Denotified Tribes do not have a dedicated constitutional Schedule.
Over time, many DNT communities were subsumed under SC, ST or OBC categories, while others were left completely unclassified.
The Idate Commission (2017) identified around 1,200 denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic communities, of which about 267 communities were not included in any constitutional category.
Even those included within SC, ST or OBC lists often fail to access benefits due to intense competition with relatively better-off groups.
This administrative misclassification has resulted in policy invisibility, as there is no reliable population data on DNTs at the national level.

Government Initiatives for Denotified Tribes

The Union government has introduced welfare measures, including the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED), covering education, health insurance, housing and livelihood support.
However, utilisation remains low due to the absence of proper DNT certificates issued by States and Union Territories.
Between 2020 and 2025, actual spending under SEED remained significantly below allocated amounts, reflecting implementation challenges rather than a lack of need.

News Summary

In the run-up to the 2027 caste-based Census, Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes across northern India have renewed demands for a separate Census column and code.
They argue that without explicit enumeration, they will once again be statistically erased.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has recommended their inclusion to the Office of the Registrar General of India, which has agreed in principle to include them in the caste enumeration exercise.
However, community leaders stress that mere inclusion is insufficient without a distinct category.
Additionally, there is a growing demand for constitutional recognition through a separate Schedule, similar to SCs and STs.
Leaders also seek sub-classification within DNTs to recognise “graded backwardness” between settled and nomadic groups, drawing support from recent Supreme Court judgments allowing sub-classification within reserved categories.

Significance of the Demand

A separate Census entry would provide credible population data, strengthening the basis for targeted welfare schemes, budgetary allocation, and political representation.
Constitutional recognition would acknowledge historical injustice and provide legal backing for affirmative action.
Without these reforms, DNTs risk remaining trapped between categories, unable to compete within SC, ST or OBC lists, yet lacking an identity of their own.

Source: TH

Denotified Tribes FAQs

Q1: Who are Denotified Tribes in India?

Ans: Denotified Tribes are communities earlier labelled as “criminal tribes” under colonial law and denotified after 1952.

Q2: Why do Denotified Tribes seek a separate Census entry?

Ans: To ensure accurate population data and avoid being statistically invisible within SC, ST or OBC categories.

Q3: Are Denotified Tribes constitutionally recognised?

Ans: No, they currently lack a separate constitutional Schedule.

Q4: What is graded backwardness among Denotified Tribes?

Ans: It refers to varying levels of deprivation between settled and nomadic DNT communities.

Q5: What is the SEED scheme for DNTs?

Ans: A central welfare scheme providing support for education, health, housing and livelihoods of Denotified Tribes.

Meta–WhatsApp Data Case: Supreme Court Questions Consent Model

February 5, 2026

Meta WhatsApp Data Latest News

In a significant hearing, the Supreme Court of India sharply questioned the data practices of Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, suggesting that the extraction of user data may resemble “theft” rather than voluntary exchange.
A three-judge Bench observed that in markets dominated by a few digital platforms, user consent may be illusory, as individuals have little real choice but to accept data-sharing terms.
The court indicated that market dominance can convert consent into coercion, raising concerns that go beyond privacy to challenge the very economic foundations of data-driven business models.
The observations signal a possible judicial rethink on how consent, competition, and data ownership are understood in India’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem, with far-reaching implications for Big Tech regulation in the world’s largest internet market.

Meta–WhatsApp Regulatory Friction

The dispute began in 2021, when WhatsApp introduced a “take-it-or-leave-it” privacy policy update.
The revised policy enabled greater data sharing between WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta.
Although WhatsApp maintained that end-to-end encryption continued to protect message content, regulators flagged concerns over the use of metadata for advertising and business profiling.

Competition Commission of India’s Intervention

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) viewed the update as an abuse of dominant market position.
Key observations included:
- For most Indian users, opting out of WhatsApp is not a realistic choice
- WhatsApp functions as India’s “digital town square”, making consent effectively coerced
Penalty imposed: ₹213.14 crore (≈ $25 million) on Meta
While financially modest for a trillion-dollar firm, it marked a strong regulatory signal.
Meta challenged the CCI order before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).

NCLAT’s Nuanced Verdict

The NCLAT delivered a split decision:
- Upheld the CCI’s finding that Meta had abused its dominant position
- Retained the monetary penalty
- Set aside a critical CCI directive that would have barred Meta from sharing WhatsApp user data with its other entities for five years for advertising purposes
The NCLAT’s reasoning rested on:
- A traditional view of corporate integration, treating data-sharing between parent and subsidiary as a common digital-age practice
- Concern that a five-year moratorium would be a disproportionate “structural remedy”, potentially disrupting Meta’s platform synergies
- Preference to let privacy-specific legislation, rather than competition law, govern data flows
With the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 on the horizon, the tribunal appeared inclined to defer finer questions of consent and data use to the emerging data protection regime.

Why Meta Took the Dispute to the Supreme Court

Dissatisfied with both the financial penalty and the reasoning adopted by the NCLAT, Meta appealed to the Supreme Court of India.
Meta sought relief from what it viewed as excessive regulatory interference in its data-sharing practices and business model.

Supreme Court’s Hard Line on Market Dominance

The apex court showed little inclination to dilute scrutiny.
Chief Justice remarked that opting out of WhatsApp in India is akin to “opting out of the country”, underlining the network effects that lock users into dominant digital platforms.
This observation reinforced the idea that user consent in monopolistic markets may be illusory.

Shift from Privacy to Economic Value of Data

A more far-reaching argument came from Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who reframed the debate beyond privacy to the economic value of personal data.
India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 primarily safeguards informational privacy
However, the law is largely silent on “rent-sharing”—who benefits economically when platforms monetise user data
Justice Bagchi questioned: if behavioural data of Indian users fuels targeted advertising, who owns the profits generated from that data?

Towards a ‘Data-as-Property’ Approach

The court’s reasoning hinted at a data-as-property framework, aligning India closer to the Digital Services Act of the European Union, rather than the more laissez-faire approach associated with the United States.
By impleading the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the court compelled the government to reflect on a deeper policy question:
- Is privacy protection alone sufficient, or
- Does the economic value of citizens’ digital footprints warrant a new form of sovereign and regulatory protection?

What Happens Next

Court’s Growing Discomfort with the ‘Free Internet’ Model - The remark that users are “not only consumers, but also products” captures the court’s unease with digital business models built on harvesting personal data. Targeted ads following private conversations are seen as intrusions, not innovation.
Transparency vs Real Understanding - The court signalled that formal consent does not equal informed consent in a country with uneven digital literacy.
Ultimatum to Meta - The court has issued a clear warning: Meta must give an undertaking to stop sharing personal data, or risk dismissal of its case and the imposition of “very strict conditions”.
Message from the Judiciary - The judiciary’s stance is unmistakable—Indian users are no longer passive data sources. The long-tolerated model of invisible data extraction may be nearing its end.

Source: TH

Meta WhatsApp Data FAQs

Q1: Why is the Meta WhatsApp data case in the news?

Ans: The Meta WhatsApp data case is in focus after the Supreme Court questioned whether user consent is meaningful when dominant platforms extract personal data for profit.

Q2: What concerns did the Supreme Court raise on Meta WhatsApp data?

Ans: The court suggested Meta WhatsApp data practices may resemble coercion, as users lack real alternatives, turning consent into a formality rather than a free choice.

Q3: How did the Competition Commission view Meta WhatsApp data sharing?

Ans: The CCI held that Meta abused dominance by forcing data sharing, fined the company ₹213 crore, and flagged WhatsApp as India’s unavoidable digital platform.

Q4: Why did Meta approach the Supreme Court?

Ans: Meta challenged the CCI and NCLAT findings, arguing that restrictions on Meta WhatsApp data sharing would disrupt its integrated business model and exceed competition law’s scope.

Q5: What could change after the Meta WhatsApp data hearing?

Ans: The court may redefine consent, data ownership and economic rights over Meta WhatsApp data, signalling stricter regulation of Big Tech in India’s digital economy.

Carbon Capture in India: Why CCUS Is Critical for Net Zero

February 5, 2026

Carbon Capture in India Latest News

The Union Budget’s allocation of ₹20,000 crore over five years for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) signals a major push towards cutting emissions from hard-to-abate sectors.
By backing CCUS technologies, the government aims to lower industrial carbon footprints and support India’s long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions.

About Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Solutions

Capturing carbon emissions - CCUS refers to a set of technologies that capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) released during industrial activities before it enters the atmosphere. CO₂ is the main driver of global warming and climate change.
Storage or reuse of captured CO₂ - Once captured, CO₂ can either be stored safely underground in geological formations for long periods or utilised by converting it into useful products such as chemicals, fuels, or construction materials.
Not a single technology - CCUS is not one technology, but a range of methods and processes aimed at preventing CO₂ emissions. Different industries use different capture, transport, storage, or utilisation techniques.
Limited deployment so far - Although CCUS technologies have existed for decades, their use has been limited due to high costs, safety concerns, and scaling challenges. Deployment has picked up only recently.
Global status of CCUS - Most active CCUS projects are currently in the US, Europe, and China. Even so, only about 50 million tonnes of CO₂ are captured annually—less than 0.5% of global emissions.
Crucial for net-zero goals - With global emissions remaining high, CCUS is increasingly seen as essential. There is no credible pathway to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or controlling global warming without large-scale adoption of CCUS technologies.

Budget Push for Carbon Capture in India

With emissions expected to rise in the near and medium term due to rapid industrialisation and infrastructure expansion, CCUS is crucial for India to meet its long-term net-zero by 2070 commitment.

India’s CCUS journey so far

Since announcing its net-zero goal at the 2021 Glasgow climate summit, India has accelerated efforts to develop indigenous CCUS technologies tailored to domestic conditions.
Pilot and demonstration CCUS projects are already running in steel, cement and chemical sectors.
Potential large-scale capture and storage sites have been mapped, and Centres of Excellence—such as at IIT Bombay and JNCASR Bengaluru—are driving research.
While CCUS science is well understood, major engineering, process and material innovations are needed across capture, transport, storage and utilisation to improve efficiency, safety and affordability.

Policy and R&D roadmap

In December, the Department of Science and Technology released a CCUS R&D roadmap for 2030, identifying key technology, finance and policy bottlenecks slowing adoption.

Role of the ₹20,000 crore budget outlay

The five-year budget allocation aims to bridge the critical funding gap for field testing and scale-up.
Many CCUS solutions have proven laboratory success but require real-world deployment to reach commercial readiness.
The funding seeks to raise technology readiness levels so systems can capture or store 100–500 tonnes of CO₂ per day.
Experts expect several CCUS technologies to reach commercial deployment in India within five years.

Economic Benefits of CCUS

Hard-to-abate industries - CCUS is crucial for sectors like steel and cement, where carbon dioxide emissions arise not just from fuel use but are an inherent part of the production process. Switching to renewable power alone cannot eliminate these emissions.
Only viable decarbonisation route - In cement and steel, most CO₂ emissions come from chemical processes rather than energy consumption. CCUS is therefore the only practical solution to significantly reduce their carbon footprint.
Budget focus on major emitters - The ₹20,000 crore budget allocation is aimed at end-use CCUS applications in power, steel, cement, refineries and chemicals—industries that together account for the bulk of India’s CO₂ emissions.
Boosting export competitiveness - Indian exporters in these sectors face carbon-related trade barriers such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). CCUS adoption can help lower embedded emissions, making Indian products more competitive in global markets.

Source: IE

Carbon Capture in India FAQs

Q1: Why is carbon capture in India in the news?

Ans: Carbon capture in India gained focus after the Union Budget allocated ₹20,000 crore over five years to develop CCUS technologies for reducing emissions in hard-to-abate industries.

Q2: What is carbon capture in India meant to achieve?

Ans: Carbon capture in India aims to trap CO₂ emissions from industrial processes and either store or utilise them, supporting India’s long-term net-zero emissions target.

Q3: Why is carbon capture in India important for industry?

Ans: Carbon capture in India is vital for sectors like steel and cement, where most emissions come from production chemistry and cannot be eliminated by renewable energy alone.

Q4: What role does the Budget play in carbon capture in India?

Ans: The Budget funding supports field trials and scale-up of carbon capture in India, helping technologies move from laboratory success to commercial deployment.

Q5: How does carbon capture in India help exports?

Ans: Carbon capture in India can lower embedded emissions, helping exporters face carbon tariffs like the EU’s CBAM and remain competitive in global markets.